I SL A MI C A RT / DIS COVE R
Painting
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Within Islamic art, paintings were defined mostly by miniature hand-painted scenes to illustrate the Qur’an. These intricate works used bold colours such as gold and red to lend a rich and vibrant feel to the important pages. Some of the first miniature paintings date back to 13th century Persia which, in turn, influenced Turkish miniature artworks and later versions in India. As these paintings were often created specifically for use in the private spaces of the Islamic court, scenes depicted were less restricted and showed human figures in the realist style with animals and in gardens. These incredibly detailed paintings were finely drawn, for a beautifully intricate effect.
Woven rugs and carpets The pile carpet or rug is perhaps one of the most iconic examples of Islamic art and is still very prolific today. The earliest examples often feature geometric designs as the straight edges were easily produced by weavers. It is rare to find carpets from before the 16th century, although some Egyptian rugs have survived. Depictions of animals and geometric lines were the most common at first followed by flowing loops and curves of Arabesque vegetal styles. Production of the
Persian carpet reached its peak in the 16 th and 17th centuries while outside the Middle East, rugs were also made in central India, Spain and the Balkans. Multiple uses were adopted across the decades as carpets served as f loor coverings and art adorning walls. Within Middle Eastern societies, carpet weaving is a rich tradition. Rural communities and Bedouin camps keep a culture of weaving alive.
4 Miraj Islamic Art Centre 5 Jewelled carpet hand-crafted with fine silk 6 Traditional tea set
Calligraphy
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Arabic Script Calligraphy, more commonly known as Islamic Calligraphy, encompasses all works by Muslim practitioners from Morocco to China. Beautiful examples of this special script can be seen throughout t he UA E , par ticularly on mosque ceilings and in interior design. Traditionally, Islamic Calligraphy is drawn using a carved reed pen and there are around 20 different types, though not all are still in regular use. The three main styles are Kufic, Naskh and Thuluth. Kufic is a geometric style characterised by horizontal, sharp lines. It was originally developed for writing on stone and in early religious texts, but has now all but disappeared. Naskh is a more cursive calligraphy that appeared in the 10th century and replaced geometric variants as it was easier to read and write. The third style is Thuluth where one-third of each letter slopes. Large and elegant, Thuluth was used in medieval times in mosque decorations and is still in use today.
Ceramics Islamic potters brought a new expertise to ceramic design with a special type of glazing that was applied to surfaces. Tinglazed pottery dates back to 750CE in Iraq and spread to Egypt, Syria and Spain. The tin glaze lent an opaque effect to ceramics and was applied to pottery, wall tiles and plates. Often a glaze was applied to pieces painted with bold colours, most commonly blue. Another influence on Islamic ceramics came from Chinese design believed to originate from invasions of Mongols and a general appreciation for Chinese accomplishments. In tiling, Islamic art forms are 6
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